The two things that slow me down are the browser and the GUI. I would like to sort the browser how I like it for instant access to stuff, and I'd like less clicks in the GUI.
When I start a new project, it feels like everything is hidden away and hard to access and I don't know where best to start, so I keep doing the same things over - open a 707 kit and start making a beat, then add sylenth. Then once I get into it, the midi editor keeps getting in the way and the tiny buttons in the corners are inconvenient.
Then there's the problem of seeing dark text/buttons when using a dark skin, which has been improved but still not fixed everywhere yet.
I guess the one huge improvement for me would be to have a customisable toolbar where you can can add ANY function/button, and the toolbar can be moved to any place in the interface. Imagine having the midi Velocity Editor, the Show/Hide Detail View, and the Browser buttons right in the middle of the screen where your mouse normally is.
Also, I'd love more midi editing features with a detailed toolbar that gives one click access to everything you want with one click. The duplicate function in the Notes toolbar is an example of such a huge improvement.
More like that please!
Also, I'd like to have better control over the size of the midi editor. At the moment, I'm always resizing it. Much better if it adjusted itself to a logical size, e.g. big enough to fit all the currently used notes or the whole drum kit or if it could be fixed to one predetermined size or something like that. Have an option where you can choose your preference. Or you could have 4 buttons - full screen, half screen, 1/3 screen, 1/4 screen. And you could have two other buttons - all notes in view and all drums in view.
And I hate the wasted space above the Clip and Notes toolbars. I reckon they should be joined together - one above the other. And the browser should be resizeable to fit the entire vertical space while having the midi editor open. In other words delink the resizing of the browser from the session and arrangement areas.
Probably too hard to implement these ideas. It's better if you start building a DAW from scratch with functionality or features prioritised. I'd love a DAW that looked great and had fantastic basic functionality. They could cut cost and time by not having any instruments or effects. Just give us great midi and audio editing with a logical browser and excellent VST implementation and I'd buy it in an instant. I'd much rather spend $99 on a barebones DAW (and pay $25 per year for functionality improvements) and carefully add favourite VSTs, samples, and loops, than have a confusing mishmash of everything. No wastage, confusion, or obscurity. One day, I'll be rich and I'll pay someone to make such a DAW.
Oh, another thing: Have a button in the midi editor that lets you switch between sharps and flats!
It's a nightmare working in Ab or something and having everything showing as sharps.
